Volvo Cars US Operations in Berkeley County Wins South Carolina Chamber Awards for Workforce Development and Manufacturing Employee of the Year
2018 Workforce Innovator Award for Medium-Sized Company
The SC Chamber of Commerce‘s Workforce Innovator Awards honor companies that have implemented unique private sector workforce development solutions. Three awards are granted based upon business size: small (fewer than 200 SC employees), medium (200-999 SC employees), and large (1000+ SC employees). A panel of judges selected from the SC Chamber’s Education & Workforce Committee reviews each nomination and selects the winners based on these criteria:
- Innovation (50%) – Utilizing new ideas in workforce development;
- Teamwork (25%) – Using teamwork in the design and implementation of unique training; and
- Concept Sharing (25%) – Readily sharing the training success with other companies.
On October 30, 2018, at the annual Workforce Development Symposium, Volvo Cars US Operations, Inc. was awarded the 2018 Workforce Innovator Award for Medium Sized Company. In its program, the SC Chamber writes, “In 2015, Volvo Cars chose Berkeley County for its first manufacturing facility in the U.S. and announced the creation of nearly 4,000 jobs. Recognizing that many in the rural areas of the Lowcountry lack manufacturing experience, Volvo Cars partnered with the SC Department of Commerce, Trident Technical College, readySC, and Berkeley County Administration to develop a curriculum that would provide the necessary training for those without manufacturing experience and satisfy Volvo’s one-year manufacturing experience requirement.”
The ManuFirstSC initiative, created in mid-2017, is a 62-hour curriculum that was originally piloted through Trident Technical College that has now been expanded to all technical colleges in the state of South Carolina, and will be available at all Berkeley County High Schools starting in the 2018-2019 school year. As of May 1, Volvo Cars has hired 26 ManuFirstSC graduates, and six more have received offers for a manufacturing career with Volvo. In addition, other manufacturers in South Carolina, including Mercedes Benz, BMW suppliers, and 46 other have agreed to accept the ManuFirstSC credential in lieu of one year’s manufacturing experience.”
[Read More]2018 Manufacturing Employee of the Year, Support Category for Medium-Sized Company
On October 5, 2018, The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce celebrated the winners of the S.C. Manufacturing Employee of the Year Awards with an awards luncheon and panel discussion regarding the future of manufacturing in South Carolina. The 2018 Manufacturing Day Celebration, presented by Jackson Lewis P.C., recognized the important contributions honorees have made to their employers, customers and communities.
“We are grateful for the employees that are being recognized today,” said Ted Pitts, President and CEO of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. “These folks are not the CEOs and Presidents – they are the backbone of manufacturing in our state, working in production, enabling, and support jobs. Dedicated workers like these make their companies successful, and that success breeds prosperity in South Carolina. We recognize these winners for not just showing up to work every day, but for going the extra mile in their jobs and in their communities.”
Amanda Lovin, Supply Chain Manager, Volvo Cars US, was awarded this honor in the Support Category for a Medium-Sized Company.
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